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Top-Notch Thompson - We’re lucky to have men like Fred.
National Review ^ | January 22, 2008 | Kathryn Jean Lopez

Posted on 01/23/2008 12:46:20 AM PST by gpapa

‘We need to deserve to lead. And this is what this is all about; it’s about deserving to lead.”

That was Fred Thompson on Saturday in South Carolina during a sincere, passionate, well-grounded speech that sounded like his farewell to the campaign trail. With his announcement Tuesday afternoon that he has withdrawn his candidacy for the Republican nomination for president, we now know it was. It was a bittersweet moment for any conservative who had been watching his campaign and wished it had been a more effective one earlier in the process. It was also a moment for the ages — one that every civics class in America should reflect upon: Politics is about policy and service to this great nation; that’s what makes the campaign worthwhile. That’s why you put up with the trophy-wife slanders and Chris Matthews’s questions.

It was about a year ago that Thompson filled in for radio legend Paul Harvey on ABC radio. In commentaries we reprinted here on National Review Online, the former Tennessee senator took on Ahmadinejad, anti-Americanism, Hugo Chavez, feminists, Islamic radicals, and even the Sainted Al Gore’s inconvenient religion. He praised the work of our men and women in uniform. He took on immigration plans offered by the president and John McCain.

You got the sense from those commentaries that he just gets it. He cares about his country and he cares about common sense. The good conservative sense Thompson articulated certainly resonated — the blogosphere got enthused for a possible presidential run. They could get into this guy.

(Excerpt) Read more at article.nationalreview.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008; elections; fred; fredthompson; praise; sc2008; thompson; tribute
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To: Erik Latranyi
BS. The results of Mitt governing in Mass are no different than Hillary governing in NY.
In fact, Mitt went one better. - He got government forced health care and made every peon in the state pay for it
Even Hillary couldn’t do that and Mitt even pointed that out!

He supports strict gun control and signed on to the amicus supporting such placed in front of SCOTUS.

He instituted 50 dollar taxpayer funded abortions for all

He called the McCain/Kennedy amnesty bill “reasonable” and supported hillary’s vote for it.

I’m sorry, what is the difference again in real life results?
As far as I see, it is Mitt who is the lying socialist and hillary is perfectly upfront about her socialism .
She isn’t lying about that!

21 posted on 01/23/2008 4:23:30 AM PST by bill1952 (The right to buy weapons is the right to be free)
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To: gpapa

To me the problems are obvious. We have had no conservative leadership in a long time. The GOP is no longer a conservative party.

Any Republican running anymore is termed a conservative if he has one or two principles to tout. Kind of like GWB.

The definition has changed. Look no farther than right here on FR. It is often hard to tell if FR is a Republican site, or a conservative sight. If every person around here was zotted every time they displayed a notion that didn’t seem conservative, there wouldn’t be many left.

Many who post here, really do believe they are a conservative, but they are not. That is why Fred had so little support.

The strong tent Reagan built has become tainted. All the factions that worked in unison to create the perfect machine are at war, each looking to get the most power and show the other guys who’s in charge. Sad thing, because as a result, the whole tent has fallen.

We had some conservatives in Congress, but we didn’t have a total conservative in the WH. The Compassionate conservative was created to disguise what we see openly see on display now.

As to Fred, he was kind of drafted, he entered later than the others. He was expected by most of us to be what we wanted him to be and not who he is. I commend him for making an effort to try to fill the void and unite the GOP.

Problem he had is that the GOP obviously does not want a conservative in the WH.


22 posted on 01/23/2008 4:28:42 AM PST by dforest (Don't even ask me to vote for McCain, Rudy, or Huckster.)
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To: Clara Lou

I did.

I also factored in the terse, 45-word WRITTEN non-explanation issued by the Thompson campaign that made no mention of personal issues.

The sad fact is that sometimes situations arise that are tragic. Husbands on active duty in war zones lose wives back home to car accidents. Children suffer disease. No need to go overboard here, and no one should criticise Fred’s love for his mother or his concern for her health.

But Fred had pledged an undertaking of high importance to the nation. In his own words, a kind of marriage between the candidate and the electorate. Marriages are for better or worse, but Fred didn’t stick out the worse. He needed to give his mother what he could, but he also has to think about his children, and he said that he was.

Was that true?

Maybe I am easy to anger, and I certainly don’t know everything that Fred knows about the state of his campaign, but I am mad. I think that at the very least Fred thompson owes all of us who gave or ourselves, gave of our fortunes, and gave of our time ought to be given a full SPOKEN explanation.

What Fred did was the equivalent of telling your spouse you want a divorce by leaving a message on the answering machine.


23 posted on 01/23/2008 4:33:37 AM PST by John Valentine
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To: gpapa
Fred was a bell tolling in the night. People listened and followed, but the 'nice hair' and the 'bass-player' got the attention.

Fred talked about the issues, the rest talked about who was the 'holiest'. So in the end, those that are too easily taken in by the plastic appearance, get what they deserve.

As for me, I will leave my vote out of the Presidential side. There are too many lesser contests that are by far more important now. Senators, Representatives that need to be elected to keep that super-majority away from the Dims.

I will also be doing a few more things.
1. Buy more 'black guns'
2. Buy more ammo by the crate if possible.
3. Buy components for reloading.

24 posted on 01/23/2008 4:45:37 AM PST by Pistolshot (Those with a lively sense of curiosity learn something new every day of their lives.)
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To: John Valentine
"In fact you make it yourself, indirectly, when you criticize “the sheep that dutifully did the media’s bidding and voted for McCain and Huckabee”. The point is that the sheep would not have been able to do that for much longer - maybe a week or ten days. Giuliani was already dying, Huckabee already dead, and McCain a bloated gasbag of foulness that was about to burst on its own. The field was about to clear out for Fred."

I agree, Thompson withdrawal only helps the Democrats. (and Romney to an extent.)

25 posted on 01/23/2008 4:55:20 AM PST by #1CTYankee (That's right, I have no proof. So what of it??)
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To: indylindy
The GOP is no longer a conservative party.

There it is - the truth summarized.

26 posted on 01/23/2008 5:12:28 AM PST by NoControllingLegalAuthority
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To: John Valentine

I share some of your anger/resentment. In 35 years of voting, Thompson was the first candidate I ever gave my money to. I’m ticked. But I chose to take the chance, after all, knowing full well that he very well might not be the nominee.
And I think you’re right that we deserve more than 45 words.


27 posted on 01/23/2008 5:17:48 AM PST by Clara Lou (Bob Parks (FR's bocopar) for virtual POTUS '08)
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To: bill1952
As far as I see, it is Mitt who is the lying socialist and hillary is perfectly upfront about her socialism .

Did I support Romney in my posts? No.

In fact, in my first post, I criticized conservatives for liking his good looks and business experience while ignoring Romney's past.

The point I am trying to make is that Romney, Giuliani, McCain, etc would not have a chance at the nomination if conservatives had done more than just vote.

Had conservatives gotten involved in their state Republican Parties, we would not have independents voting the primaries. Had conservatives gotten involved in the national Republican party, we would not have elected officials spending like crazy and forgetting the principles on which they were elected.

But, like so many conservatives, you just want to cry and take your marbles home. You don't want to play anymore and that demonstrates a juvenile understanding of politics.

28 posted on 01/23/2008 5:22:22 AM PST by Erik Latranyi (Too many conservatives urge retreat when the war of politics doesn't go their way.)
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To: gpapa; All
I've seen so many replies complaining about their wasted efforts on Fred that I just don't understand. I donated a lot of money to him as well. I called 170 people in SC (while I live in IA). I worked my tail off for him between 2 jobs, family and church responsibilities. I am horribly disappointed that he quit and I thought he should have stuck it out and at least waited until Super Tuesday.

But for me, it was not a waste. Look at what good did come from this. I've made very good connections with new and old conservatives. We have a bond that we can use to fight the morons/libs locally and in the state. Now that he's gone, I've heard comments like, "What will conservatives do now? Where will his votes go?" That shows me that he was the remaining conservative candidate otherwise it would be obvious where Fred's voters would go. Also, some people are now interested in courting our votes. None of them are worthy of my time but for the rest of my fellow FredHeads, you'll do what you think is best.

His departure highlighted the need for a conservative voice. I was not involved in the other campaigns that called it quits, Hunter and Tancredo, but the amount of wailing from this both from us and commentary nationally shows we made an impact. It is what it is.

Even if the worst happens and the country collapses. We're not going anywhere, unless we're carted off to concentration camps for our stalwart beliefs in limited government or our faiths. We'll be here to rebuild it. If the worst doesn't happen then we get back together again and fight them again.

Next time we can't just make an impact, we have to get going, get organized, get active and do better at convincing people to coalesce around the conservative candidate. Next time, we can't just make an impact, we need to win!

29 posted on 01/23/2008 5:26:23 AM PST by LinnKeyes2000 (I got Fred and I miss the Real)
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To: John Valentine

“Frankly, I don’t understand it, especially when the announcement comes on the very morning that Huckleberry gives up on Florida, eliminates most staff pay, and no longer keeps the press around.”

I liked Fred....

consider this.

Fred also put his staff on half salaries at the beginning of January.

Fred didn’t like the press around, either - he was praised for this on FR.

Fred didn’t win a single primary - if he couldn’t win SC, where could he win? He didn’t even come in 2nd. Or 3rd.


30 posted on 01/23/2008 5:27:19 AM PST by GovernmentIsTheProblem (Ron Paul - for liberty! - http://www.ronpaul2008.com/issues/)
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To: Erik Latranyi

Fred’s positions on the issues are an example for voters to judge the other candidates.


31 posted on 01/23/2008 5:29:12 AM PST by msnpatriot
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To: John Valentine
Like you I was nearly maxed out - over $2,000 moved from my bank account to the Thompson campaign. Frankly, I’d like it back.

did it ever occur to you that at this point he decided that he really didn't want to waste anybody else's money.

For whatever reason he was going nowhere. I suppose he could have lied and made promises that he could never keep, like Romney did in Michigan. He promised us one thing, that he would be Fred Thompson. Republicans wanted their special interests, and voted for their own special interests (Military - McCain; Economy - Romney; Abortion - Huckabee; War on Terror - Giuliani; Insanity - Paul).

The republican party has been Balkanized. We needed a candidate like Thompson, but then we didn't vote for him.

32 posted on 01/23/2008 5:39:46 AM PST by P-Marlowe (LPFOKETT GAHCOEEP-w/o*)
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To: counterpunch
Oh STFU National Review. Now all the “conservative” media comes to praise Fred only after they buried him all campaign

Agreed. I guess K-Lo took off her Romney knee-pads long enough to sit at her computer and type this post-mortem.

K-Lo, Coulter, Hannity, Hewitt....not a conservative among them as far as they've demonstrated this election cycle. And not worth reading or listening to ever again as far as I'm concerned. Their comments will be scrutinized with the same mistrust and highly critical reading that's usually reserved for the driveby's.

33 posted on 01/23/2008 5:40:50 AM PST by prairiebreeze (I didn't leave the republicans, they left me.)
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To: gpapa

One thing Fred did in coming into the race was raise the bar on discussions and awareness. The other candidates were forced to adjust positions in the light of those challenges he set before them. A few even adopted points from his white papers.
Before Fred this was missing. Now look at how many people are talking about it.
If anything he gave us back the vision of what should be and what we lack.


34 posted on 01/23/2008 5:49:21 AM PST by donnab (don't blame me ...I supported Fred.)
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To: gpapa

I sure hope that we don’t have more like Fred. We need some leaders who will stand up and be counted, and persuade people that his ideas are right.

Reagan did it before we have the pajama media online. He accomplished it in the face of only the big broadcast news networks.

Thompson could not get it done even with the hope of offered of today’s modern access granted to everyone via the Internet.


35 posted on 01/23/2008 5:52:03 AM PST by tortdog
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To: tortdog
I think the difference is that Reagan literally spent YEARS on the message, worked the rubber-chicken circuit, got elected Governor, and worked his way into a position with strong backing and a big message. Thompson jumped from a supporting role in a television show right into the fray and said "Well, here I am. Vote for me."

A very poorly run campaign. Most of the time, when you dance to your own tune, people just end up ignoring you...magritte
36 posted on 01/23/2008 5:58:46 AM PST by magritte
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To: gpapa

MSM is hyping the news that Thompson will be backing McLame.

“In the statement, Thompson did not say whether he would endorse any of his former rivals. He was one of a handful of members of Congress who supported Arizona Sen. John McCain in 2000 in his unsuccessful race against George W. Bush for the party nomination.”

“January 22, 2008 — Former US Sen. Alfonse D’Amato, Fred Thompson’s top New York supporter, is set to switch sides as soon as today and endorse John McCain for president, The Post has learned.

D’Amato, a former New York GOP powerhouse, endorsed the former Tennessee senator and “Law and Order” star last fall, as he sought an alternative to former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, his longtime political foe. D’Amato, who spent the weekend in Florida, was on his way back to New York.

“Alfonse realizes that Thompson has no chance and may be getting out of the race and so he’s decided to endorse his old friend John McCain,” said a source close to D’Amato. McCain will be holding a campaign event in New York today.”

“It had long been assumed that if Thompson dropped out he would almost certainly support McCain. Thompson was one of a handful of senators to support McCain’s 2000 presidential bid, and the two men had been friends and allies in the Senate.”


37 posted on 01/23/2008 6:04:30 AM PST by KeyLargo
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To: gpapa
We’re lucky to have men like Fred.

He was my guy but I don't think we have him anymore; he's gone. And we are left with a sorry lot to choose from.
38 posted on 01/23/2008 6:05:26 AM PST by no dems (If we can't beat Hillary or Obama in '08, the GOP has become a sorry lot..)
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To: bill1952
He supports strict gun control and signed on to the amicus supporting such placed in front of SCOTUS.

Do you have a link for that?

39 posted on 01/23/2008 6:29:56 AM PST by CharlesWayneCT
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To: P-Marlowe
For whatever reason he was going nowhere.

It was way to soon to be making such a call.

40 posted on 01/23/2008 7:11:32 AM PST by John Valentine
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